1 And he dat will not go to M- 88, Shall [be] turn out and look like an Ass. Now, now de Hereticks all go down, Lilli, &c. By Chreist and St. Patrick the Nation's our own,2 AN IRISH PROPHECY. That was and sould be ruin'd by an Ass and a Dog: This Prophecy's true, and now come to pass, THE SECOND PART OF LILLI BURLERO. By Christ my desear us and make me Mad. Chreist my dear Morish, vat makes de sho' shad? Pox take me, dear Teague, but I am in a rage, Vat if Dush should come as dey hope, See p. 295, ante, and the "Ballad to the tune of Couragio" :— On thy August Voyagio: The Church and State admit no stay, Stand East, dear Wind, till they arrive And let each Noble Soul alive Cry aloud, Qu'il Prince d'Aurange vive! Couragio, &c, [the Dutch] Collection of the Newest ... Songs against Popery, 1689, Part i. p. 12. 2 Ibid. p. 9. 3 A Second Collection of the Newest . . . Songs, &c., against Popery and Tyranny, 1689, p. 26. This proves the inaccuracy of the (later, and corrupt) version, wrongly adopted by Bishop Percy, "For Talbot's de dog, and JA.. sis de Ass." This prophecy is sometimes mixed with Lilli burlero, First Part, but is distinct. The omitted names are Talbot and Tyrconnel. We have four distinct Collections, beside the Royal Garland of Protestant Delight, all dated 1689. Ara', Plague tauke me now, I make a Swar, Or to Lorretto's Sacred Smock. Now a Pox tauke me, what dost dow tink, And by my Shoul de Mash House pull down, For be goad, dey will hang us out of de way: [Jeffreys] Second Collection of Songs, &c., against Popery, 1689, p. 20. In the Introduction to "The Couragious Soldiers of the West" we have summarized the events immediately preceding the date of "The Reading Skirmish." On the evening of Thursday, 6th of December, 1688, William of Orange arrived at Hungerford, which place he had selected as being more convenient for gathering adherents than Salisbury. The "Skirmish" was on Sunday, the 9th. "While the Prince lay at Hungerford a sharp encounter took place between two hundred and fifty of his troops and six hundred Irish, who were posted at Reading. The superior discipline of the invaders was signally proved on this occasion. Though greatly outnumbered, they, at one onset, drove the King's forces in confusion through the streets of the town into the market-place. There the Irish attempted to rally; but being vigorously attacked in front, and fired upon at the same time by the inhabitants from the windows of the neighbouring houses, they soon lost heart, and fled with the loss of their colours and of fifty men. Of the conquerors only five fell. The satisfaction which this news gave to the lords and gentlemen who had joined William was unmixed. There was nothing in what had happened to gall_their_national feelings. The Dutch had not beaten the English, but had assisted an English town to free itself from the insupportable dominion of the Irish."-Macaulay's Hist. Eng. cap. ix. "King James's army, consisting of some Irish and Scotch regiments, had been quartered at Reading, and had quitted it on hearing that the Prince of Orange was advancing with the main body of his army. The inhabitants, immediately on their departure, invited the Prince to take possession of the town, and secure them from the Irish, of which nation the King's army was then chiefly composed, and of whom they, in common with the rest of the kingdom, seemed to have entertained a great dread. The King's army having received intelligence that it was only a detachment from the Prince of Orange that had advanced to Newbury, returned to Reading, and posted some Irish dragoons to defend the bridge; the Scotch were drawn up in the market-place, when the Prince of Orange's troops entered the town; a slight skirmish ensued, and a few lives were lost, but the King's troops soon fled with precipitation, and left the town in possession of their opponents. This affair became the subject of a ballad, called the Reading Skirmish; or, the bloody Irish routed by the victorious Dutch. The anniversary of the Reading fight is still commemorated by bell-ringing in the three parishes." -D. & S. Lysons' Magna Britannia, i. 333; 1813. [Bagford Collection, II. 101.] The Reading Skirmish: Dr, The Bloody Irish Routed by the Victorious Dutch E came into brave Reading by Night, WE five hundred Horse-men proper and tall; Yet not resolved fairly to Fight, but for to cut the Throats of them all: Most of us was Irish Papists, who vowed to Kill, then Plunder the Town; We this never doubted, but soon we were Routed, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we all go down.1 In Reading Town we ne'r went to Bed, Fortune was pleas'd to give us a Frown, And blasted our Glory, i'll tell you the Story, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we all go down. We thought to slay them all in their sleep, but by my Shoul, were never the near; The Hereticks their Guard did so keep, which put us in a trembling fear: 8 121 16 20 1 This chorus or burden appears to have been adapted from Lilli burlero, tenth verse: see p. 371. As to the tune of Lilli burlero, see pp. 303-4, and 370. 2 c BAGFORD. We concluded something further, to seize the Churches all in the Town, With killing and slaying, while they were a Praying; but we were Routed, and soon run down. Nay, before Noon, we vowed to dispatch. every Man, nay, Woman and Child; This in our hearts we freely did hatch, vowing to make a prey of the Spoil: But we straightways was prevented, when we did hope for Fame and Renown, In less than an hour, we['re] forced to scoure, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we are run down. We were resolved Reading to clear, having in hand the flourishing Sword, The bloody Sceen was soon to appear, for we did then but wait for the Word: While the Ministers were Preaching, we were resolved to have at their Gown; But straight was surrounded, and clearly confounded, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we all go down. Just as we all were fit to fall on, in came the Dutch with fury and speed; And amongst them there was not a Man, but what was rarely Mounted indeed; 24 28 32 36 40 44 And Rid up as fierce as Tygers, knitting their Brows, they on us did frown, Not one of them idle, their Teeth held their Bridle, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we were run down. 48 They never stood to use many Words, In their right hands their flourishing Swords, We thorow the Lanes and Streets of the Town; While they pursu'd after, and threatn'd a slaughter, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we were run down. Thus being fairly put to the Rout, hunted and drove before 'um like Dogs, Our Captain bid us then face about, but we wisht for our Irish Bogs; Having no great mind for Fighting, the Dutch did drive us thorow the Town; Our Foreheads we Crossed, yet still was unhorsed, hoping he might our Victory Crown; But Dutchmen pursuing, poor Teagues, to our Ruine, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we're all run down. Never was Teagues so much in Distress, as the whole World may well understand; When we come here, we thought to possess worthy Estates of Houses and Land: But we find 'tis all a Story, Fortune is pleased on us to frown; Instead of our Riches, we stink in our Breeches, by Chreest and St. Patrick, we're all run down. They call a thing a Three-legged Mare,2 where they will fit each Neck with a Nooze; Then with our Beads to say our last Prayer, after all this to Dye in our Shooes: 1 There was a veritable St. Colman, bishop and confessor, whose day is February 18th. But, of course, the allusion in the text is a squib, directed against the Catholics generally, and especially the defenders of one Edward Coleman, who was in 1678 hanged at Tyburn, for supposed complicity in the Popish Plot. In a contemptible libel, bearing title" The Chancellors Examination and Preparation for a Trial," 1689, is a pretended will made by Jeffreys, leaving a thousand pounds for the raising "of a shrine and chapel to St. Coleman, for the particular devotion of a late very great English zealot: for whose glory I further order my executors to bear half charges in inserting and registering the sacred papers and memoirs of the said saint in those divine legends The Lives of the Saints,' by the hands of the reverend and no less industrious successor Father Peters." The late very great English zealot" refers more probably to James II. than to Maria of Modena, who declared that her husband's zeal far exceeded her own, and charged his unwise excess on Father Petre. Concerning him see note on next page. 66 2 The "Three-Legged Mare" was one of the playful titles bestowed on the gallows at Tyburn, with its three upright posts and horizontal beams connecting them at top. It appears prominently figured in the last picture but one of Hogarth's Industrious and Idle Apprentices. Our boasted advance in civilization has not progressed as yet beyond this brutalizing mode of butchery; and although no crowd is now further depraved by witnessing the public act of slaughter, it may be doubted whether each cold-blooded secret murder within prison walls is |